The Earth Reclaims It

New York City and Yellowstone (2001)
J Randall Updegrove

New York City and Yellowstone (2001)
J Randall Updegrove

I posted these images a few years ago and they are still as incredible to me as ever. These are accidental 35mm double-exposures taken by Missoula, Montana based photographer J Randall Updegrove, who was in New York City in the Spring of 2001 where he shot a roll of film, which included these two images from the top of the Empire State Building. Somehow the same roll was re-exposed, upside-down, at Yellowstone National Park. In fact, Updegrove is not certain if the Yellowstone images were shot before or after the New York trip. This roll of film then sat in a drawer for eight years, and in 2009 were developed to discover these stunning results. The apocalyptic images of the Twin Towers suspended from the heavens over the violent geography of Yellowstone just six months prior to their actual collapse. These photos are straight out of the camera with no post processing whatsoever.

PHOTO/arts Magazine is a compendium of photography and contemporary art topics. We regularly feature the work of emerging international artists. Created in 2006, Christopher H. Paquette is the editor and founder. Feedback, comments, and submissions for publication are always welcome.